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A super cream that has help eliminate my dry skin

I recently decided to treat myself to a tub of 'posh' moisturiser as I had a landmark birthday and wanted to start focussing on combating wrinkles that might start to appear soon. Thankfully, I've managed to fend off the aging process so far (Tesco staff had a debate between them a few weeks ago as to whether I needed ID or not to buy some cider - I'm 30 and I was very embarrassed) but want to try my best to help combat it over the next few years. I bought the Clinique Superdefense cream with SPF 25, purely based on trying it on my hand in the shop. I'd previously not read any reviews on it or heard anyone say things about it so I was buying it blind. I bought it at an outlet cosmetics store for £19.25 - it's normally sells for £38 in Boots!

The cream comes in the usual fancy Clinique packaging - that being a light green box with a small tub holding 50ml of cream inside. The tub also looks fancy having a light green tint to it and a shiny silver chunky screw lid. The cream is white and fragrance free - only the subtle scent of the cream itself is detectable, something I like because it is only very slight and not overpowering at all. A little goes a long way with this. I need three small dips into the tub to cover my whole face and part of my neck. At the time of buying, I found the price to be expensive, even at the outlet, but the cream represents better value than I first thought with the small amount I've needed with each application. I've been using this for around a month now and the tub barely looks as though it's been touched even though it's been applied once per day. Based on that, I'm expecting the tub to last me at least six months!

The cream really sinks into the skin well. With a couple of sweeps across my face, it's disappeared so it's quick to use too. I say sweep because it doesn't need any effort, no rubbing is required and it just glides across the skin. Again, this was something I really like. I always feel that the constant rubbing across skin with wipes etc may cause more harm than good with the constant pulling and pushing of my skin in different directions. It's something I try to do as little as I can so it ticks that box too.

After application, I find that my skin instantly feels refreshed although the one minor downside is that I find my face feels slightly greasy straight after - I'd say for around 10 minutes. This poses no problems to me personally, as I've got into the habit of using it at night just before falling asleep but I think it would bother me if I applied it first thing in a morning before starting the day because the skin definitely feels quite oily. That may only be the case with the type that I bought, that being the Superdefense designed for very dry to dry skin - I can't comment on whether the same applies to the other types of this cream - those being dry to combination and combination to oily. There may be extra oiliness in this particular one to try and help combat the very dry areas.

In the morning, I find that my skin feels moisturised, soft to touch and ready for the day - once I've had my morning shower, I don't feel the need to apply any more even though they recommend two applications per day. The reason I purchased the very dry to dry skin type was because I had small dry sections across my forehead and nose. These have gone completely so it's been a massive help. As for helping with the aging process - well I've not noticed any wrinkles form although like I said earlier, my skin hasn't previously had any and my reason for buying was as a preventative measure rather than to try and minimise those already established. I have noticed that it hasn't made much of a difference to under the eye area where I have darker areas of skin as these are still as visible as before, although I know that Clinique sell a separate eye cream so this particular cream might not be designed to target that area specifically. They also say that this cream helps to fight the emotional stresses to skin, which I do agree with. My skin looks visibly better and healthier - I started to notice a difference even after the first application.

One other thing to note - I have fairly sensitive skin in that there are only a few types of skincare wipes I can use to remove make up, a lot bring me out in rashes or spots. I'm pleased to report that this cream hasn't caused any rashes or spots to appear on my skin.

I would recommend the Clinique Superdefense cream. I'm glad that I purchased it now because although the initial cost seemed expensive, one tub will last me a long time so I feel I'll get my money's worth. It's easy to apply and makes my skin feel moisturised and soft and has helped greatly with the dry patches I had over my face. I rate the cream four stars, taking one off because of the greasy feeling straight after application but I think it's worth putting up with (especially if applied at night when I use it) for the results I've received.

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A nice moisturiser but nothing too special

I received a small 15 ml pot of Clinique Super Defense SPF 25 moisturiser in a Bonus Time gift bag from Boots about 4 weeks ago.

My pot states the moisturiser is for dry skin types, so it was not something I would have bought as my skin is not dry at all and can sometimes be oily. However, as I had received it for free I thought I would test it out as a night cream at home.

The moisturiser is quite a thick white cream so I was wary that it might be too rich or too greasy for my skin, but I needn't have really worried too much about this. It does not sink in as quickly as my other Clinique moisturisers which are designed for oily skin types and you do need to rub it in a bit. I would not have used it for day time use as I prefer something light under my makeup and I feel like it might have made makeup slide off a little bit, but for night time it was not too thick or greasy for me. I only needed to use a quite small amounts of it each night. It has a fresh but slightly medicinal smell to it. It felt nice on my skin and I didn't have any problems with it.

Super Defense is supposed to protect against the visible signs of ageing. I am only 25 so I don't really have many signs of ageing yet myself and I could not see whether it had made a difference, but I do think it is important to take preventative measures and not just start with anti-ageing products when it is too late, so this protection was quite welcome. The SPF 25 is also a good plus point (even though I didn't benefit as I only used it at night!).

Over all it is a decent moisturiser, but not one that I will buy as I prefer other Clinique moisturisers which are lighter sink into the skin more quickly, as those as the ones which are better suited to my skin type. It doesn't seem like anything too special but it does the job. I would be happy to recommend Super Defense to anyone with normal or dry skin who wants a heavier moisturiser to give them age protection and SPF, but they might be able to find something good that is cheaper. Full sized pots are available in 30 ml for £26 or 50 ml for £35 which is quite expensive.

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try if you can

Clinique is a premium beauty brand offering skincare, makeup and perfume. It is also part of the Estee Lauder company.

**Superdefense**

The Superdefense Triple Action Moisturizer is available for different skin types with this review discussing the Normal/Dry skin type. This moisturizer is formulated with SPF25 so can be worn whilst out in the sun. It contains a UV Protective formula to combat UVA/UVB rays and to allow the skin to build up a natural defence to toxins in the environment. It can be used alone or as part of a skin care routine and should be applied to the face morning and night, avoiding the lip and eye area.

**Packaging**

The fullsize version comes within a double walled, glass pot with a silver lid and black writing. The smaller version comes in a green, plastic pot with a screw on lid.

**Availability and Price**

This specific moisturizer has been recently discontinued by Clinique and replaced by a similiar but not exact Superdefense Age Defense. This can still however, be picked up online.

www.blush1.com offers a 30ml pot for £19.95 or head over to ebay where you can pick up a 15ml for around £5.00.

**My Thoughts**

I have bought and sold Clinique for years now and certain products have always been the best sellers. One of these products was the Superdefense Triple Action Moisturizer. I had a few 15ml pots left over from buying a job lot and a few months ago, I decided to see what the fuss was about not realising this product was being discontinued. I am now on my last pot which is a 15ml size and perfect for travelling due to its sturdy nature but the glass pot is so much more attractive visually.

**Defense Needed**

So a pot may not be the most hygenic method of holding a cream but I don't tend to worry much as its only me poking my clean finger into it! The cream itself is packed right up to the rim and is a creamy, off white colour. The scent I adore but its hard to put into words..its natural with a creamy sweetness about it which lingers after applying to my face. The consistency of the cream is very thick and almost like a gel and a mouse have been whipped together making it rigid and a little difficult to scoop out with my finger.

I use this after cleansing and toning my face and tend to use it for a 2week period at a time when I feel my skin needing an extra boost. In between these uses, I use a basic moisturiser for when my skin feels okay! I have found myself using this more often recently due to the weather changes..one minute sunny, next minute peeing down! Anyway, my skin is dry around my nose, forehead and the tops of my cheeks with fairly normal skin around the rest of my face. I like a moisturizer to hydrate my face and last all long allowing my skin to feel clean, flake free and sit nicely under my moisturiser.

**Defending An Angel**

Being so thick, this cream is quite difficult to rub onto my face. I am so used to dotting some moisturizer around my cheeks, forehead, chin and nose then rubbing in bit by bit but that is impossible with this one. As soon as even a tiny bit of this cream makes contact with my skin, it starts to melt in making it difficult to spread and leaving a greasy layer on the surface of my skin. So, the best way to apply is to get a small blob and work on each part of my face bit by bit..it does take a little more time and more moisturizer is needed compared to some brands but it gets the job done.

Whilist gently rubbing this into my face with my fingertips, it feels rather soothing and the scent lingers but doesn't become intrusive. The cream sinks in really quickly and needs to be rubbed well to ensure no greasiness is left. Once applied, my face looks a tad shiny, smells rather pleasant if a bit unusual and feels clean and healthy. I can feel the cream sinking in and this delays the makeup being put on.

After a good 5mins from application, the shininess has reduced and the cream appears to fully sink into my skin leaving a fresh faced look which is smooth to the touch. The dryness on my forehead reduces dramatically and this is aided by applying a small layer at night in place of a night cream. My make up goes over the top easily and as I use powdered makeup, I need it to stay flake free all day which it does and that says alot considering how dry my skin is.

I have worn this when the weather has been really hot and when its been blowing a gale outside and the moisturizer has kept my skin in tip top condition. Due to the SPF25, I feel confident my face won't frazzle unlike my neck and shoulders recently but that was my own fault for not applying sun lotion..my face remained free of redness so the claim of sun protection is adequate.

**Conclusion and Recommendation**

The thickness of this cream means I go through a lot of it which considering its cost and availability, won't be a viable option forever but for now it is providing my skin with the moisture boost it so desperately needs. Once my pot is empty, I may purchase a 30ml pot but as the results aren't that far off from my cheaper day creams, it is looking unlikely. If you have a pot stored away from the gift sets then certainly dig it out and use it as you have 24months from first opening before it needs discarded.

I recommend this moisturizer and find it difficult to see why they discontinued it as it was so popular.

Thanks for reading :)

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May be a good moisturiser for others but my skin does not take to this at all!

Clinique's Superdefense Triple Action Moisturizer was part of a free gift I received from Clinique. It is in a small plastic tub as opposed to their usual big glass 50ml tubs, so it was very easy to carry around with me and so for this reason I decided to take it on holiday abroad with me.

It is SPF 25 so I thought I could use this to protect my face instead of the other sun lotion I was taking. As the tub is only small, not much information was on the actual tub so I went onto the Boots website and found the product to read more about it and when to apply it. It states:

"Skin's most complete defense against the visible signs of aging in a daily moisturiser. Arms it to fight the effects of emotional stress, which can damage skin with effects much like sun and pollution. Helps neutralize UVA and UV.Apply every morning after 3-Step Skin Care. Avoid eye area. At night, partner with Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizer."

I do not have their Super Rescue Antioxidant Night Moisturizer and was not prepared to pay over £30 for it either, with products that cost this much I would much prefer to actually test the product out first before purchasing, and so I do not partner it with this at night and instead just apply it by itself.

I was only away for a week but after the first day I noticed my nose was starting to burn and so applied facial sun lotion on top of this, and kept re-applying it throughout the day. This product was not good enough to protect my face from the sun when used alone. By the end of the week the skin around my mouth started to go very dry, red and scabby, something which has never happened to me before.

I was not sure if this was because of the sun on my face, or if it was because of any of the products I was using on my face. When I got to the airport and I was shopping around the duty-free, a member of staff from the Clinique counter recommended their moisture surge moisturiser to me for my face. I did not want to pay that much for it and so didn't buy it, especially as I was thinking that it could have been the Clinique product I was already using that caused the skin on my face to go like that!

When I got home, I kept moisturising my face but instead used a different moisturiser until it all cleared up, which took some time! I then started using this product again and yet again I could feel my skin starting to get irritated, so I put the blame down to this product, and have never used it since. I must be allergic to one of the ingriedients in the moisturiser, but it has not put me off trying out other Clinique products since. I still love Clinique and have never had any problems with any of their other facial skincare products I have since used, only this Superdefense triple action moisturizer. Therefore, I will certainly not be buying this product.

A 50ml tub costs £34.50 but Clinique products are often in a 3 for 2 promotion, or spend over so much and receive a free gift. So it might be worth waiting until they have a promotion on if you are interested in buying it, when you will get more for your money.

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Another product from clinque that offers something better than the rest

Clinique are known for their quality, and cost because of it! But generally, their product are worth that bit extra. This is another one!

I managed to get this product for slightly cheaper than its retail, so brought it and starting using over a year ago. I'm still using the same one!

Packaging --> This comes in a 100ml, clear glass pot with a silver thick lid. Under the pot lid can sometimes get cream stuck, and it clumps and looks messy - so this is best avoided with wiping it away after each application. The logo and slight description of the product are written on a clear label in black.

The cream --> This moisturised is a creamy, thick consistency, something which worried me at first. I have oily skin and can breakout in spots sometimes, and the last thing I needed was another product to be greasy on my face. It only usually gets dry after I have used face wipes, so before applying make up I like to use this. It is in fact a very soothing cream to apply, yes it is slightly thicker than most, but it means that it lasts for longer. The triple action formula is aimed to hydrate skin, stop aging look of skin and include an SPF 25 to protect from the sun and from pollution. These are all great bonuses to the product, which I only initially brought for moisturising! It is anti allergy, and 100& fragrance free, so completley safe you use on senstive skin as well. It has lasted me for over a year, but I use it around every other day - so for daily use I would advise it has a 6-8 month last on it.

Information about this product I have recently found out is that the moisturiser formulation is slightly different, and in fact not so good on oily skin anymore, and goes by the name of 'age defense'. If this applies to you, please check it out with a Clinique retailer. I can only review the original which worked great. I have seen this product around on a few websites, such as ebay.

When I brought the prodcut at a lower rate, the original price was £26 for 100ml tub. Very glossy finish to the bottle and superb silky feel to the skin. Great!

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A nice summer moisturiser with spf of 25 to protect the skin

"Superdefense" - The name initially attracted me to this product as I work in the city so sometimes feel my skin is taking quite a hammering from pollution. Also attracted to this product as contains spf of 25.

It claims to "arm the skin to fight the visible effects of emotional stress - recognised to damage skin, like sun or pollution."

Clinique is a brand that specialises in products which are hypoallergenic so they shouldn't irritate sensitive skin. (Although do test it on your skin first as my aunt did react to it.)

The product comes is a reasonable sized tub and plastic not glass so can travel with it. A big plus for me. Size is 50ml so lasts for a reasonable time. I bought the dry/combination version but there is also an oily combination version.

It has a pleasant smell although the packaging does state it is fragrance free and nice thick consistency to easy to get out of the tub and dot on your face before rubbing it in. It rubs in easily. So far I have only used it during the summer months and have been pleased with the results. It doesn't irritate my skin and leaves it nicely moisturised but not greasy. My only concern it whether it is heavy enough for the winter months as it does feel light on.

I am not entirely convinced about the amount it has protected my skin against pollution but it has been an effective moisturiser and I feel confident that the SPF has help protect my skin from damage from the sun.

It costs around £30 and is widely available from major department stores and online. Often Clinique have bonus giveaways of products when you buy two products (one of which has to be skin care) so watch out for any such offers if you decide to purchase this product.

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Fantastic moisturiser which could be improved with higher UVA protection

Once again Clinique provides me with a holy-grail product, this time it's my holy grail daytime moisturiser. This really is a super moisturiser!

The product itself is quite creamy - on first inspection I thought it looked more like a night-time moisturiser as they tend to be a little richer. On application however the cream is lightweight and smooths on eaily. My skin absorbs it very quickly and I'm left with a lovely glow. It's not greasy at all, just leaves you looking like a radiant version of you (which is a massive thunbs up from me!). Vitally, the product also keeps my skin smooth and lovely all day which most other moisturisers fail to do for me personally. I also have bad skin and on first use was a little worried that the richness of the cream may cause my skin to break out. This, as with most Clinique products, was not the case and after a few days useage I was inclined to think that it was actually helping to speed along the healing and red-reduction of a few past blemishes (huge thumbs up!). I did actually have people comment on how nice my skin was looking a week after I purchased this and people NEVER tell me how nice my skin is, lol!

The spf 25 is a nice thought but as with all clinique products the UVA protection is only 1/3 the UVB protection (the spf rating) so I feel inclined to wear additional sun protection for the sake of my future skin. My only other negatives are the price - hugely expensive for my meagre budget, I still purchase for it's benefits however - and the pot it is supplied in which requires you to scoop it out with your finger, not overly hygenic which is a worry with my blemish prone skin.

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It lasts a long time and does exactly what it claims to do!

***What does this product do? ***This product is a day time moisturiser with SPF25 to protect the skin from sun damage, environmental damage and basically just protecting the skin from all the rubbish that affects our skin which causes premature aging. Dooyoo shows the product being called Superdefense Triple Action Moisturiser, however like my previous review on Clinique's Continuous Rescue moisturiser, this too has had a name change. It is now called Superdefense SPF25 Age Defense Moisturiser.

***How to use it***Use it in the same way to Clinique's Continuous Rescue (previous review) but it is the day cream rather than the night cream. So Clinique consultants recommend using their 3 step skin care system day and night which includes a soap, clarifying lotion (liquid exfoliator) and a moisturiser and then to follow with the Superdefense by day and Continuous Rescue by night. Just apply Superdefense to the face and throat.

***Advantages of this product***The main advantage to this product is that it also helps protect the skin from internal emotional stress, and I haven't heard of any other product which does this.

What I love about this product like most of Clinique's products is that it comes in the three skin types so everyone can use it, these include:

Very dry to dry skin type for a person who has very dry skin all over = which is richer and contains oil

Dry/Combination skin type for a person who has an oily t-zone and then slight dry areas = is oil- free but is still relatively rich to help areas of dryness

Combination/Oily skin type for a person who is oily all over = so is oil-free and helps to moisturise the skin without adding any oil.

***Price***30ml = £26.0050ml = £34.00

***Would I recommend this product?***I would definitely recommend this product because for day time SPF is essential to prevent premature aging. It pairs so well with the continuous rescue night cream and I love using them both. It has definitely improved the texture and suppleness of my skin. If you currently use other Clinique items and haven't yet tried the Superdefense I would recommend buying your products when Clinique has their bonus time/ gift time on and usually in the gift they have a 15ml of the Superdefense so it is a great way to try it. I have used this product for over 3 years now and will continue to use it.

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...

When I was in Debenhams buying my three step system from the Clinique stand, I was advised to buy the super defense cream to go along with it. I was a bit apprehensive about buying it at first as it meant spending more money, but I thought I would give it a try.

I nearly died when she told me it was going to cost £35, but this was after I had decided to buy it and didn't really want to back out.

So what is it?

Well it's basically a triple action moisturiser to use after the three step system. It is made especially for my skin type (dry, combination) and also has an SPF 25 included. I was glad about the SPF as I hate putting sun cream on my face, and this meant I wouldn't burn as much.

Later that night, I was going out to town, so I tryed this cream on top of my usual three step moisturiser and immediately felt the difference. It really made my skin soft and the scent wasn't very strong either. I waited a few minutes before applying my makeup on the top, and I noticed my makeup looked a lot better afterwards also. Therefore I was glad I bought it.

I don't use it all the time, just when I am going out at night or when I am at university as I don't want to keep paying the price it costs. I bought this a year ago in a 50ML pot and I still have it. There is just under half left. It has been fantastic, and an absolute life saver at all the festivals ive been too when my skin has dried up due to lack of water or general care.

I like the way this product is packaged also. It comes in a round pot which is clear plastic and has a silver lid, it looks good.

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Supersoft skin and a nice high SPF

Now I am an Olay girl and used for the last couple of years their 7x signs of aging spf15. But as summer was approaching I decided I wanted something with a higher SPF (goodness knows why as we never get hardly and sun).

So researching into and reading in countless magazines about Clinique Superdefense moisturiser with an SPF25 I thought I would give it a shot.

It is slightly pricey at prices ranging from £31 - £40 for 50ml (does come in a 30ml size) depending on where you buy it from. Clinique can be purchased at most large department stores e.g. Debenhams, John Lewis, etc and at larger Boots stores.

Clinique Superdefense moisturiser comes in a round green plastic jar with a silver screw on/off lid (easy to open/close). On the front of the jar it says:-

Allergy Tested 100% fragrance free. US and International Patents pending. Clinique most complete defense against the visible signs of aging in a daily moisturiser. Arms skin to fight the visible effects of emotional stress - recognized to damage skin, like sun or pollution. Helps protect against UVA and UVB. Keeps skin looking better longer.

On unscrewing the lid their is another little lid to protect the moisturiser which you lift pulling a little tab. The moisturiser is white and does not particular smell of nothing their is a slight smell but nothing that stands out (I am no good with smells - unless really obvious).

The cream is quite a thick consistency and you just dip your finger in the pot and apply to face and neck (this gives you the power to decide how much cream you want). I use about a dollop the size of a 50p piece for face and neck. The cream sinks in really quickly to your skin, so it is great for applying make-up over the top. The first couple of days I used it I was not that impressed as I did not feel I was not getting any benefits from using this and it did not give me that initial first glow like my Olay did. I carried on using the cream as I did not want to waste £32 and I thought I should give it a fair trial.

After a couple of days of using this cream I really noticed how soft my skin felt and it seemed to smooth out my skin tone. It almost feels like their is a film on your face protecting it (not in a bad way and it does not feel heavy).

I cannot comment if it has stopped me catching the sun as we only had about a week and I still applied my factor 50 sun cream (so no good commenting on that really).

The only downside is when I kept applying the little lid inside to protect the moisturiser after a couple of weeks around the inside edge of the pot I had a build up of yellow kind of gunk (almost like mayo that has been left out), so I removed the inside lid and that seems to have sorted that problem out.

So would I buy the product again - well yes I think I would, but only probably for summer time period, as I think my regular old Olay will do the job in winter and I am not sure if I can afford to keep paying £32 for moisturiser as I think this is a little expensive.

I am going to give this product 4 stars just because it is the price that puts me off and I think my Olay does just as good of job and if I really wanted extra sun protection I could buy sun cream. Saying that I think changing your moisturiser once in a while your skin benefits.

My skin does feel really soft thought (like a baby's bum)

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Not really worth the money paid!

I often find that the winter tends to play havoc with my complexion, leaving it very dry and irritated. At the start of this year I was finding that my regular moisturiser wasn't working as well anymore and I realised I needed something a bit stronger. I did some research online into super strength moisturisers and this was one that seemed to come highly recommended.

Clinique bill this as "skin's most complete defense against the visible signs of aging in a daily moisturiser" and claim that it "fights the effects of emotional stress, which can damage skin with effects much like sun and pollution. Helps neutralize UVA and UVB." I do like my moisturisers to contain a high SPF and at SPF 25 this was the main attraction of this moisturiser for me.

It comes in 3 different varieties - Very Dry to Dry, Dry Combination, and Combination Oily to Oily skin types. Due to the dryness I was having, I went for the Dry Combination option.

The product comes in a swish looking circular green glass pot, with green metallic screw on lid - so far so good. It does look very classy and feels nice and heavy. It comes in 2 sizes - 30ml and 50ml - the 30ml is £24 and the 50ml is £32 - certainly not cheap, so what exactly are you getting for your money?

The consistency is really thick, very creamy and feels silky on your fingers and it smoothes onto the face and is absorbed very easily and quickly - just a minute and the cream has been completely absorbed into the skin. It should be used in the morning and evening after cleansing, and can be used as part of the Clinique 3 step routine or on its own. It does provide a good base for make-up and does seem to stop my make-up being absorbed into the skin. There is a very slight scent to the product slightly camomile ish and ever so slightly clinical - like all Clinique products there are no artificial fragrances added.

However, I am going to have to go against the grain here and say that I just don't see the "triple moisturising" effect that this claims to achieve - it certainly does moisturise, I'm not disputing that, but I don't see that it does a better job than the far cheaper Oil of Olay Total Effects I was using before. I've been using this now for about 7 months so have given it a good try, but I just don't see the effects to warrant shelling out on this again. Having been disappointed by Clinique's moisturisers before (Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion - made me break out in spots, so in that sense, yes, I suppose it was dramatically different!) I think I'll be off to Origins for my next moisturiser purchase...

Clinique products can be bought at Boots, John Lewis, House of Fraser, or online at Clinique's website www.clinique.co.uk

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worth the money, saved my skin in winter!

I suffer from very dry skin in winter, as the weather is so harsh, I often get wind burnt skin. It gets so uncomfortable that using my regular moisturiser doesn't help at all, even when I layer it on several times, it still won't fix the problem.

So I went to my Clinique counter in search of a thicker moisturiser than my regular moisturising lotion. The moisturising lotion is a great moisturiser for summer and spring but once the weather starts to get colder and the winds become more harsh, I defiantly need something more moisturising and soothing.

They recommended me this superdefense and from my first application I must say, this is absolutely brilliant! It's a much thicker and creamier formula than the moisturising lotion. This, for me, is a very good sign. I was very exited to try this out and it really did exceed all my expectations. Within a few days, my dry skin problems were sorted and now I keep using this all through the cold months. I never have to worry that I'll end up looking like a peeling, blotchy mess ever again.

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Proof that sometimes the "other" gender range from the same brand is better.

It is surprising to what you get if you ask...

Just before Christmas I went out to treat myself and decided that for once and for all, I would research into facial care for men. The results were surprising as was the cost of products, which are supposedly catered for men. One of the companies however was Clinique. Although I had suffered earlier in the year with their so-called facial scrub wash soap bar, it didn't deter me from the brand.

Armed with a couple of vouchers and money I was kitted out with three bottles of Clinique for Men's range consisting of the M brand in their shaving balm, moisturising cream and a liquid soap facial wash tube since the soap had been a no go area. I also bought another tube of M products for my best friend and I asked the sales lady if there were any other samples I could get along with my purchase. She smiled and after spending in the region of £60 she handed me five samples of various men's products and a small 15ml green pot of the Superdefense Triple Action Moisturiser. At first I was intrigued when I went through most of the range I had initially bought. Although the M lotion for men is good, it doesn't sink into my skin very well and leaves my fingers feeling greasy which means they need to be washed. This product however seems to be marketed for women rather than men but with its triple action promise, I was intrigued to give it a go regardless of whose lineup is marketed at.

Three months on and I still own that sample pot with quite a lot of cream left from this so-called sample pot. As with most things that I have found with Clinique, the less you apply the more you can cover! For my birthday in March I went the whole hog and bought the actual product, realising that over the phone to House of Fraser's, there are three different types available:

Combination to Oily skinVery dry skin onlyDry & Combination skin

Regardless of the types, my initial sample was dry combination skin and it had worked superbly. At a cost of £30 however this 50ml size isn't half expensive. Although not available at the time at House of Frasers, there is also a 30ml glass pot available at a slightly less awe gasping £18 but these prices are merely average and do differ online if you are into researching. And there's Clinique charging £24-00 for 30ml, and £32-00 for the 50ml...

The short and the crust of it is though...I found that this stuff is better than M Lotion Moisturiser for Men and being Clinique of course, they do suggest that this cream can be used in their much lauded "3 Step" facial care system. I don't bother with that as I tend to find that too many products in one wash application can leave me looking slightly faded.

To begin with the promises are that this moisturiser has an SPF factor of 25. Although this is not a worry for me in most parts of Scotland it is an added benefit even though there are no areas I can actually test this cream on. I suppose if I went travelling to a hot destination or perhaps skiing then it would be a factor to consider for some peace of mind.

So that's the first promise out of the way. The next promise is that this cream "rebuilds the skin's natural defence systems," according to Clinique plus another promise that basically this is the kind of cream you need if you want to maintain a healthy lifestyle and the day to day trials of life.

Regardless of what Clinique claim, the cream itself is an off white cream in look and in consistency imparts a soft and silky feeling on skin. Not unlike Astral moisturizer, Clinique's Superdefense isn't far off from being just as light and whipped in the way it moves around my fingers when it comes the time to apply. But it reveals a powdery consistency at times which reminds me of deodorant cream roll on. Whilst this isn't alarming, it does suggest reasons to why the cream feels soft and silky and upon applying manages to stretch farther across my face than most other creams, which need more dipping into! Which is probably good reason to consider given its price!

If you have heard or read that this cream has no scent; it's a blatant lie. It is understated however and reminds me of having the tinniest inflection of the sweetness of Germolene and a lot of Camomile but not over flowery so as to cause offence. Certainly it is clinical and suits the brand name here. Just like the M Lotion for Men, I only apply this cream after I shave but whereas the M Lotion goes on smoothly after wet shaving, this cream is much better after dry shaving. Even though there is no actual antiseptic additive in this cream, I seldom get electric shaver burn and the cream smoothens on easily and quickly dissipating into skin without rinsing or taking off with a flannel.

The biggest surprise however is that once the cream has been applied by my fingers; give it just a minute or two and the cream disappears on both my face and fingers with no need to wash anything off. That so far has been the biggest surprise; no oiliness and very little greasiness left once the cream has been applied.

Over the moustache and beard/chin areas which are the true testing ground for any moisturisers I have tried (because most of the time they tend to sit on the areas that sweat and force the cream out on the surface of the pores) Clinique's Superdefense sinks in beautifully and leaves my skin feeling soft and relatively healthy looking. It can however leave skin looking shiny but again it calms down within minutes of applying.

The dry combination formula is quite good on areas where dry skin on my face gets bad. The best example of this is the red, dry areas on my forehead after facial washing when I used to apply other creams on. However, the Clinique cream just goes on without fuss and doesn't cause redness. And the softness factor lasts for hours without any fear of it disappearing - now that's a surprise given that I have wasted a lot of money on men only creams which are supposed to do the same thing at a fraction of the cost.

Aside from the price the cream is packaged in a circular squat glass pot with a silver lid and inside there is an inner lift off lid which helps to keep the cream intact. The packaging is no-nonsense but at the same time looks good sat amongst my various aftershave bottles. This can only of course be a benefit.

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Should be your one expensive beauty buy!

This product Cliniue Superdefence Triple action Moisturizer comes in three different skin options : Very Dry, Dry Combination and Combination to Oily, options which cover the many different types of skin people may have.

I first recieved this product as a Christmas Present in the Dry Combination skin option and I wasnt that familiar with Cliniques products. I wear a lot of make up on my face and so I can find my skin is often quite dried out by the end of the day, this product however has changed that.

Superdefense can be used as part of the Clinique three-step plan where you cleanse tone and moisturise or it can be used by itself. I have been using it in the morning and sometimes evening as a base to moisturise my skin before putting my make up on.

Pros: I noticed as soon as I started using this product that my skin was a lot softer than it had been before and the best part you only need to use a small ammount of the moisturiser to achieve this effect. This cream is suitable for application to the whole of your face and neck, its easy to rub in and smooths straight into the skin leaving it soft and not greasy. Because it comes in three different options you can choose the product which will best suit your skin type and when buying the product a Clinique specialist can help you with this if you do not know yourself. One of the best things I found about this product is that it made a really good base upon which I could apply my make up and even made my make up look smoother and better. I have been using this product now for about a month and the condition of my skin has improved greatly and its especially good in these winter monthes when your skin can dry out in the cold. The product comes in a really small pot but dont let that put you off I have been using it daily and still have loads left as you dont need to use much at all.

Cons: The only con really with this product is the price at £25-£30 it is really quite expensive when compared to a lot of the other facial moisturisers you can buy in other shops such as Superdrug and Boots though I would say it is worth this price in the fact that it truly works.

One thing which may be a pro or a con depending on how you view it is that the product doesnt have a real scent. I personally like this as gives the impression that you are not using any product on your face. It only has a very soft scent which when applied is barely detectable and smells soft and feminine and gives the product a more expensive feel. I often find that cheaper products make up for lack of moisture by putting in a stronger scent.

This product is now one of my must have beauty buys although its expensive it is most definatly worth it! You only need a small ammount and your skin is soft and perfectly smooth. Its brilliant if you wear a lot of make up as it protects the skin from other products. You can use it with other less expensive products by other companies and if you are going to buy one expensive thing I would recommend this be it.